Welcome to the forum! I have, as you described, a 17" 27oz M-43 by Lachhu, and it is exactly the khuk you want. I love the shape of the M-43, but always saw them well over 30oz, and that's just too much steel for me. I'm not a big guy, but mine is just big enough to do the heavy chopping, and light enough that I can swing it all day and barely notice it on my hip. Before I got this blade, I had probably 2 or 3 go-to khuks, excluding the KLVUK, and now it's just this one.
And Jens, after using this M-43 a bunch, I've been really considering a custom "M-43" with a traditional handle. That would be an awesome knife.